


That Feeling

by thegingerirritant



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Angst, Bendemption, Canon Compliant, Diplomacy, F/M, Force Bond (Star Wars), Hux is an angry fellow, M/M, Post TLJ, force time, forcetime, space kids, these kids
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-18
Updated: 2019-09-25
Packaged: 2019-10-12 10:26:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 15,388
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17465777
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thegingerirritant/pseuds/thegingerirritant
Summary: The first time the bond opens after the Battle of Crait...~They both stayed silent for a moment, Kylo still standing awkwardly in the corner of her room watching her shiver slightly.“You look cold,” he finally spoke.“Great observation.”





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello again! 
> 
> Here is a one-shot to soothe my writing itch before the crazy semester begins. 
> 
> Enjoy!

That feeling was back. The low buzz in her ears, the way her skin prickled, and then the final feeling of utter isolation overcame her, even though she was sitting in the crowded mess hall of the new base. It was a feeling she had been dreading over the past week while the meager remains of the Resistance found what bearings they could. 

Rey sighed, refusing her turn her head to the left to face the one person she truly did not want to see. She could feel him move closer to her, sitting down on the bench beside her even though she knew he could not see her surroundings just as she couldn’t see his. 

“You can’t shut me out forever, Scavenger,” came the echo of Kylo Ren’s eerily deep voice. Rey flinched at the old insult, but kept her eyes trained on the hot mush she was meant to be spooning into her mouth. 

“What’s wrong, Rey?” Finn asked, sitting directly across from her as they shared a meal. Rose was still in the makeshift infirmary with Dr. Kalonia keeping close watch over her as she recovered from her battle injuries.

Rey jumped at the sound of her friend’s voice. “Oh, um, nothing’s wrong. Just not hungry right now,” she replied quickly. 

Finn barked a laugh, “I never thought I would hear those words from your mouth.” She smiled a slightly in return.

“So, you’re with someone?” Kylo mused. “Sharing a meal?” 

Rey simply kept ignoring him, using her spoon to stir her breakfast. 

“Is the traitor?” Kylo kept on, one gloved hand reaching up to stroke the stubble he had allowed to grow on his chin. Rey snuck a look out of the corner of her eye. 

In the week since the Battle of Crait, he had aged. The bags under his eyes that had formed after their first meeting were more pronounced, almost purple. His hair had deflated even more. The only thing that had improved in his appearance was the healing scar she had given him mere weeks ago. 

“Or is it the pilot?” He knew she couldn’t answer without giving herself away to whomever she was with, so he kept on. “Leia’s golden boy? The son she always wanted,” he sneered. Rey felt her eyes roll at the apparent jealousy her bondmate was giving off. “Alright, not Dameron, then. Who?”

Rey slammed her spoon down into her bowl harder than she meant to. “I’m going to head to my room for a lie-down,” she announced to Finn and the others at her table before standing up and making her way toward the hall. She didn’t know if Kylo would follow, but if he did, she was prepared. Words of scorn and hurt ran through her mind, trying to decide what first to say to the man that had saved her life before betraying her. 

She reached her quarters without incident, one of the many perks of being the last Jedi, as everyone had taken to calling her behind her back. Leia had offered her a secluded room for her meditations. Since that had been the only thing Luke had taught her, she took the offered room without arguing. As soon as the door slid closed, she sighed loudly. 

“What do you want from me?” she asked aloud, still not making eye contact with him.

“I wanted you to stand by my side,” he said accusingly. “But you’d rather shack up with your traitor friends.:

Rey rubbed her face with both hands, “I can’t do this, Ben.” When she finally looked up at him, he was staring at her with an exhausted intensity. “I don’t want this.”

He huffed. “You think I do?”

“I don’t know, Ben. You seemed awfully quick to jump at taking Snoke’s place back there. Was that your plan all along?”

“It was the only option that wouldn’t get us both killed,” he scoffed. “Where we could actually make a fucking difference and stop the war.”

“By allowing my friends, your family to die?” she shot at him, plopping herself down on the cot and wrapping herself in on of her thin blankets. She was always cold on this base, being used to Jakku’s harsh climate. “I told your mother.”

“My mother is dead,” he whispered. “My men destroyed the bridge of their ship. I felt her die.”

Rey’s eyebrows creased in confusion. “I wasn’t there, but Poe said she saved herself. She was the only survivor of your attack.”

Kylo was silent for a few moments. Rey could feel him probing her mind, seeking out the truth. She allowed him into her mind, offering up the first memory Rey could think of- Leia holding Rey’s hand in comfort as they spoke of Luke’s passing. “She’s there? With you now?”

“Not in the room with me,” she huffed a laugh. “But, yeah. She’s here.”

Kylo’s eyes changed with her answer. They softened, turning from almost black to a more chocolate brown, tears collecting along the brim of his eyelids. “Why can’t I feel her?”

“She’s weak,” Rey whispered. “She lost her husband and her brother in less than a week of each other, both at the hand of her only child, and survived being shot at and sucked out into the void of space.” 

They both stayed silent for a moment, Kylo still standing awkwardly in the corner of her room watching her shiver slightly. 

“You look cold,” he finally spoke. 

“Great observation.”

“Where are you? Hoth? Another frozen world?” 

Rey rolled her eyes again, “As if I’d tell you. I’m not letting you swoop in and kill my friends.”

“That wasn’t my plan, Rey,” he sighed. 

“Oh? You have a plan?” her eyebrows raised as she stared him down. “Do tell.”

“I-” he stopped. “I don’t have a plan. You were my plan.”

“I was your plan?” she deadpanned. “What does that even mean, Ben?”

He slid down the wall he was leaning against to crouch on the floor, letting his head fall back and hit the wall. “It means that I don’t know what I’m doing without you. Everything is falling apart.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

“Because I need you,” he said, once again making eye contact with her. To each other, they both looked small. Rey wrapped in a blanket, only her head visible, and Kylo sitting on the floor with his cape acting as a buffer between him and the floor and wall underneath him. “I can’t do this without you.”

“You should have thought about that before losing yourself to the dark,” she bit, looking away in hope that he wouldn’t see her own eyes fill with tears. 

She was suddenly aware of the sound the air filtration system constantly made, her ears almost popping from a change in air pressure around her. 

Rey looked back to where Kylo Ren had been sitting. She was alone. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A WILD MINI PLOT APPEARED! 
> 
> I'm going to be very slowly writing this one, so don't expect regulated updates, and I'm only expecting a few more chapters. But, since this started as a one-shot, anything can happen at this point. 
> 
> Enjoy!

Rey shivered as she walked down the corridor towards the hangar. The parka Leia had lent Rey was practically antique, but it was all that was available in her size on the old base. 

Poe had asked her for help with his new/reclaimed X-wing- something that had made Finn’s mouth drop and Rose spit out her mouthful of water- and Rey had been itching to get her hands on more than just the electrical wiring throughout the ancient base. 

She pulled her wraps around her arms even tighter, hoping to lock in her body heat. Leia had provided her with warmer clothes than the tunic and tights she had been wearing since Jakku, but to someone who had lived most of her life on a desert planet, there was no amount of clothing that would keep her truly warm. 

“Hey, Rey,” Poe called as she entered the hangar. Only he and BB-8 were there, the droid perched up in the craft just chattering away while Poe worked to oil one of the wings. “You’re just in time. I was about to start opening her up to see what we’re dealing with.” 

“How old is this thing? It looks like it’s seen better days.” 

“Hey, this lady has earned some respect! It’s from the Empire era,” he said giddily. “Leia said that this one was Luke’s. He flew it here when they founded the base right after he blew up the first death star.”

“What are those?” she asked, pointing to a few other crafts parked around them, ignoring his apparent hero-worship of her old master.

“Snowspeeders,” he answered shortly. “We might need to salvage parts from them to fix this baby up.”

“They don’t look very fast,” Rey judged.

Poe barked a laugh, “I mean, nothing can really be too fast in this crippling cold.” 

“Yeah, I can imagine,” she grumbled to herself as she wrapped her jacket around herself tighter, hoping that once she got moving underneath the craft, she would warm up, or at least be distracted enough to not notice the chill that never seemed to leave her bones these days. “So, what’s the plan?”

“Well…” Poe started. 

But at that moment her skin prickled, her ears rushed, and then the void sucked her through. “Kriff,” she sighed, hoping Poe was too into his plans to notice her lack of attention. 

“I don’t care how you do it, Kiiden, get it done!” came Kylo Ren’s yell from across the bond, making Rey still has she felt his anger waft over her. He was standing behind her, unaware that the bond had opened yet. She turned slightly, to see where he was as Poe kept droning on about the engine. 

“Uh, Poe,” she tried to stop him. “Poe!”

Kylo went rigid at the sound of her voice calling that name. She could feel the tension through the bond. 

“I was about to get to the best part!” Poe frowned as he popped his head up to see what was the matter. “BB-8 doesn’t exactly fit the specs here, but we-”

“I’ll be back in a few minutes,” Rey cut him off urgently as she felt Kylo turn towards her to glare. She ran into the icy hallway, leaving Poe looking hurt and confused. 

“No, buddy,” he responded to BB-8’s confused beeps. “I don’t know what’s going on with her.”

She shivered in the hallway. “You should really invest in some warmer clothes, Scavenger.”

Rey rolled her eyes. “You know, that had never occurred to me. Thank you, Supreme Leader.” Kylo smirked but tried to hide it. “Why do you care, anyway?”

“I can feel how cold you are,” he stated, eyes flashing with mild concern. “It’s distracting.”

“Good.” Rey huffed. 

“I need proof,” he said suddenly. Rey finally looked directly at him, noting that he had finally cleaned his hair, shaved, though the bags under his eyes remained as if he hadn’t had a lick of sleep. 

Rey’s face scrunched in confusion, “Proof? Of what?”

Kylo looked her in the eyes, stepping a little closer. “My mother. I need to know she’s alive- that you weren’t lying.”

“Why do you care and when have I ever lied to you?” she bit. Kylo chewed on his cheek for a moment, finding the right words. “Nevermind,” Rey huffed. “What would be sufficient proof for you?”

Kylo thought for a moment. The longer he thought, the more irritated Rey was becoming. “Ask her why Han left the last time.”

Rey felt the bite in his tone. “Oh- okay,” she agreed. It was simple, but she feared the emotions it might bring up. “She’s going to wonder how I know about that, though, and why I’m even asking.”

His eyebrows raised a bit, “You haven’t told her about this?”

“I haven’t told anyone,” Rey whispered. “I-” she paused for a moment. “I didn’t want-”

“You didn’t want them to reject you as you did to me?” he asked quietly.

Rey’s face hardened in anger. “I didn’t reject you, Ben. I couldn’t let my friends die.”

“You chose them over me.”

“You wouldn’t let me choose both!” she almost shouted. Realizing that her voice was getting louder, she took a deep breath to calm herself. She couldn’t alert the rest of the base, especially Poe, who had tried to bond with her over Kylo Ren’s interrogation tactics. “You decided that it had to be one or the other instead of coming with me, talking things out. We could have ended this war peacefully and moved on with our lives.”

Kylo scoffed. “This war has been going on long before you or I were even born, Rey. Before my parents were born. You’re a fool if you think peace could be found in merely days.”

“Then I’m a fool,” she bit defiantly. “And you’re a fool for thinking that I’d let my friends die for any reason when they could easily be saved.”

“I see that, now.”

“Do you?” she asked him, staring straight into his dark eyes. “And would that change what happened back on Snoke’s ship?”

Kylo chewed on his cheek again, something Rey noticed he did whenever he thought hard enough. “I don’t know.”

Rey sighed, knowing that neither of them could know how it would have played out if anything had been changed. “I’ll talk to Leia,” she finally said. 

“Thank you.” Kylo’s voice wavered. “What are you doing with the pilot?”

“He asked me for help to rebuild a ship,” Rey explained. “And that’s all I’m saying.”

“Be careful,” Kylo nodded. “He doesn’t let just anyone touch his heaps of junk.”

Her eyebrow quirked, “And the fact that I can lift heavy things like rocks has nothing to do with it?”

Kylo tried not to snort, “Is that all Skywalker has taught you? Figures.”

“For your informa-” She tried to poke him in the chest, but he was instantly gone and she stumbled forward slightly. 

Rey sighed for what seemed like the millionth time in the past few days. Him leaving before she could say what she wanted to say was getting old real fast. 

Instead of reentering the hangar, Rey made her way back towards the command center of the base, intent on finding Leia for a heart-to-heart chat. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know what you think of this! Kudos, bookmarks, subscriptions (which will be your best bet when I do actually get an update rolled out), and, most effective, commenting are what fuel me the most to get chapters written. Even a simple smiley face makes me happy to know that people are reading and enjoying my writing. 
> 
> Thank you!


	3. Chapter 3

Leia sat in silence, her head between her hands. They had been on Hoth an entire week and the memories just kept flooding back to her. Memories of her and Han bickering, the shudder-worthy kiss she gave Luke to make Han jealous, and Han heading out into a blizzard to find Luke before he froze to death. The only person she had left from their original stint on the frozen world was Chewbacca, and he kept himself scarce for the same reason Leia had momentarily hidden herself away. 

“General?” called a voice from the hall. Leia’s back straightened as she composed herself. “General Organa?”

“In here, Rey,” Leia answered. The younger woman entered the small room Leia had claimed for herself. Rey had her arms wrapped around herself. “Oh, Rey, I should find you warmer clothes. It might not fit, but...” Leia trailed off getting up to go through her closet. “This should help.” The tiny older woman handed Rey a thick wool sweater. “And we’ll find you a set of gloves.”

Rey smiled lightly, “Thank you. But that’s not why I’m here.”

“But that doesn’t change that you need warmer clothes,” Leia scoffed. “As soon as we can get more than just the Falcon up and running, we’ll send someone to buy you something that fits. I know how hard it can be to adjust to this harsh climate. I spent some time here when I was about your age, you know. We retreated here just after Luke destroyed the first Death Star. I had a hard time getting used to the cold as well.”

“General-”

“Please, Rey, call me Leia,” the older woman smiled. “You’re as good as family now, so I won’t have this ‘general’ formality. You know, even Poe calls me Leia sometimes.”

“I-” Rey stuttered. “I need to talk to you about something. About Kylo- about Ben?”

Leia stopped what she was doing and turned to look at Rey. “You know?” she sighed as Rey nodded, “Of course you know. Luke?”

“No,” Rey shook her head, “Han. I overheard then on the bridge before…”

“Right.” 

“But Luke did tell me something,” Rey started. “About why Ben-”

“You better sit down, dear,” Leia cut in. “I’ll make some caf.” She looked at Rey, who squirmed as she stood by the door. “I’m going to listen, Rey. I just think we should be more comfortable for this conversation.”

“Oh, okay,” Rey stopped. She looked around at the small room. While it was small, Leia still had a small seating area set up with a table scattered with papers and holos. Leia busied herself at the counter on the opposite side of the room, heating up water and grabbing some mugs. Once she sat down, she poured both Rey and herself some caf. 

“Alright,” Leia started after a sip of the hot beverage. “What about Ben did you want to talk about?”

Rey swallowed, mouth starting to go dry. “I don’t even know where to start.”

“You mentioned that Luke told you about Ben’s change? Why not start there?” the General nudged. 

“I- I don’t know if that’s my story to tell,” Rey said, her face scrunching in confusion. “I think that would be better if you were to hear that from Ben himself.”

Leia sighed, “Rey-”

“No,” the younger woman said with resolution. “You’re going to hear it from him.” She took a deep breath before launching into something that resembled an explanation: “We have a bond. The force keeps connecting us, me and Ben. We discovered it when I was on Ach-To, but it keeps happening.” Before Leia could interject Rey raced to say “We can’t see each other’s surroundings or hear what’s going on. Only each other.”

Leia had already set her cup down on the table, too shocked to be able to drink it safely. “Is… is he here right now?” Rey quickly shook her head. “Can you initiate it?”

“I haven’t tried,” Rey’s voice cracked. “We’ve talked, though.”

“Civil conversation?” Leia smirked, causing the corners of Rey’s mouth to quirk. 

“Not at first,” she explained. “But he finally wore me down to it.” Leia snorted lightly. “I shot him the first time, but he just wanted to figure out why the force was connecting us.”

“My ever-curious boy,” Leia’s heart swelled. “You know he would trail after Han and Chewie constantly asking them questions when he was a youngling. Always trying to figure out how everything worked or what people’s motives were.” She took a breath, “I’m sorry. Continue, Rey.”

“You’re not-” Rey sat confused by the matriarch’s reaction. “You’re not going to make me leave?”

“Why would I do that?” Leia sat, stunned. “You’re one of us-”

“Because he could get our location from me, or-”

Leia held up her hand to silence the girl. “Rey, hush. No one is making you leave or abandoning you here.” She stood up, pulling Rey up with her to envelope you into a hug. “He hasn’t come storming in here by now,” Leia smiled into her hair, “So I trust that either you’re incredibly good at deflecting his efforts or that he isn’t even looking for us yet.”

“There’s more,” Rey mumbled into Leia’s embrace. “I went to him on Snoke’s ship.”

“You did what?” Leia pulled back to look into Rey’s eyes. “You were on the Supremacy?”

Rey nodded, tears beginning to brim in her eyes. “Before that, we touched through the bond and I saw him turn towards the light. Luke refused to come with me, so I thought Ben would be our only hope.”

Leia’s face softened, “Oh, sweet Rey.”

“He took me to Snoke, I tried to talk some sense into him, I was so sure that he would turn and leave with me, but he stayed silent. Snoke said that he thought Luke was Ben’s equal in the light but was wrong, that I was the light meeting Ben’s darkness,” Rey tried to explain, though she was still confused about the old creature’s words still. “And then he said something about creating the bond, but if that were true, then why would we still be connecting?”

“I don’t know, Rey.”

She took a deep breath, “And then Snoke ordered Ben to kill me, but he killed Snoke instead.”

Leia stayed silent, absorbing the information. 

“After we defeated the guard together, he tried to get me to stay, but he wouldn’t call off the attack on the fleet. I just wanted you all to be safe,” she kept on, tears now spilling freely. “But, he insisted that the past die. So, I tried to leave, but we fought over the lightsaber before it split and knocked us both out. I woke up first, took the pieces and ran to find Chewie in the Falcon.” 

“And you drew them off of us and helped us escape the base on Crait,” Leia nodded. “Everything makes sense now.”

“What?” Rey looked at the woman in surprise. 

Leia smirked, “The anger and over-the-top attack. Ben felt rejected. But, he wasn’t angry at you, he was angry at himself.”

“He was angry at me, too,” Rey whispered. “He thought he was alone in the universe, that both you and Han were dead and that Luke was still out to kill him. And then I just left him to save other people that had betrayed him.”

Leia nodded, “I’m still too weak to connect to the force,” she admitted. “He can’t feel me anymore, can he?” Rey shook her head in confirmation. The two sat there, allowing their caf to cool without a thought. 

“Can I ask you something?” Rey started carefully after a few moments of silence between the two women. 

“Of course.”

“He told me to ask you why Han left the last time,” Rey asked quickly. 

Leia’s lips pursed before she broke out into a laugh, “He wants you to prove I’m still alive, does he?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm, well, Han had just come back from a run to Corellia,” Leia started. “And I was helping Ben to pack. We were sending him to Luke, and Ben was not happy about it. He insisted on going to piloting school. Ben kept begging his father to let him go with him, drop him off at the college on Coruscant where the Dameron’s had taken Poe.” Leia swallowed. “Han couldn’t take Ben’s begging. He didn’t want to send his son away, but we needed Ben to be able to control his power. So, he gave Ben his lucky dice and left. I tried to stop him, and we got into one of our famous arguments. I said he was being too soft with Ben, and he said I should be able to help our boy if I had just spent enough time with him.”

“That’s-”

“A lot, I know.” 

“I’ll try to-” Rey cut off as the pressure of her ears changed. Her eyes closed as she focused on his presence. “I’m a little busy right now,” she whispered. But there was no answer. She looked past Leia to see him asleep on the bed. “Leia.”

“You’ve connected,” the woman’s face became hopeful. 

“He’s asleep. We’ve never connected when asleep before,” Rey said in awe. “What should I do?”

Leia shook her head. “Let him sleep. He always had a hard time trying to sleep. Han would even give me a murderous glare when I made a little bit of noise while trying to get him to bed.” 

Rey stood, walked over to the bed as Leia watched, and pulled the covers over him, only to hear Leia gasp. She could see him on her bed. Just as Luke saw him in the hut.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! It's a lot harder to stick to canon facts that I originally thought! WOW! 
> 
> Please leave a comment if you're enjoying this! It means the world to me and keeps me writing.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's a shorter one, folks.

“Rey,” Leia whispered in awe. “What… what does this mean?” She couldn’t take her eyes off of her sleeping child, though he certainly no longer looked like the little boy she would hold and comfort at night when he woke screaming out in fear. “Is he really here?”

Rey sighed. “Luke saw him, too,” she remembered. “We touched hands through the bond and Luke walked in. He isn’t here. He’s in his own bed, I assume.” She kept a hand on his shoulder, rooting him to hers and Leia’s reality.

Kylo stirred slightly, gripping the blankets tighter where Rey had pulled them up around his neck, mumbling something unintelligible. His eyebrows scrunched together until he stopped moving, completely relaxing at the feel of Rey’s hand still weighing against his shoulder where she smoothed out the blanket.

“I’ve never been pulled into his world, though. He’s come to me both times,” Rey suddenly realized as Leia stepped closer, trying to get a better look at her boy. “What do you think that means?” she asked, more to herself than to the room.

A tear escaped Leia’s eye unbeknownst to the other woman in the room. “He’s been through so much,” she whispered, catching a look at the scar that split his right cheek. “How long will the connection hold?”

“Until I let go, I think,” Rey answered, nodding towards her hand on him. “I don’t know for sure.”

Leia appeared over Rey’s shoulder, reaching a shaky hand out to smooth her son’s hair. “We should let him sleep,” she whispered, pulling Rey’s hand away from the man. 

He disappeared and the blanket dropped where it covered him. 

“Thank you, Rey,” Leia said, smiling sadly at the younger woman. “I thought I’d never get to see him again.”

Rey’s mind was moving a million parsecs a minute as Leia pulled her into a hug. It took Rey everything she had to let the tears swimming in her eyes fall. She couldn’t allow herself to be vulnerable in the company of others. Scavenging taught her that, Ben taught her that. 

Leia finally let go of the younger woman after a few minutes. “You should go and get some rest, Rey.”

She shook her head in response, “I have a shift in a few minutes.”

“I’ll find someone else to take your shift,” Leia insisted. “Honestly, Finn and Rose can handle it themselves anyway.”

Someone knocked on the steel door as Rey was gathering her wrap around herself and packing the new sweaters and clothes into her arms.    


“General,” came Poe’s voice as Leia opened the door for him. “Oh, I didn’t realize you were in a meeting.”

Rey smiled at him, hoping her eyes weren’t swollen with tears still. “Poe.”

“What brings you to my private quarters, Dameron?” 

“Connix received some reports from the First Order,” Poe rushed. “They say that the Supreme Leader is focusing on rebuilding certain systems’ agricultural economies and creating new treaties for trade with them.”

Leia’s eyebrows shot up with a glance at Rey. “I’ll make my way to the command room,” she nodded at him. “This should be something we discuss with as many as we can.” She turned back to Rey, “And I don’t want to see you there, do you hear me?”

“Yes, General,” Rey nodded. 

“Poe,” Leia snapped back to her right-hand man. “Can you make sure Rey goes to her quarters?”

Rey frowned slightly. “I can-”

“Off, you two,” Leia shooed them. “I need to change before the meeting.”

They walked down the ice-lined hallway in silence for a few moments. 

“So,” Poe started. “You ran off this morning.”

“I really needed to talk to Leia,” she replied shortly. 

Poe snorted. “I gathered that. What about?”

“Nothing.”

“Nothing sounds really important.”

Rey rolled her eyes, “Why do you need to know?”

Poe smirked, “Was it about a boy?”

“Shut up,” she snapped. Poe frowned. “I’m sorry,” she said, melting at the lip he had stuck out. “It’s really not that important. I’m sorry I left you in the hangar alone.”

“It’s ok, Rey,” he laughed lightly. “You know you can talk to me, right?”

“I do,” she nodded. 

Poe huffed, “I mean…” he trailed. “I know it’s a little different, but I lost my mom when I was young.”

“I’m sorry,” Rey said earnestly. “But, that’s not-”

“I’ve also dealt with Kylo Ren directly,” Poe went on. “He tortured me for the same information he took you for.”

“I didn’t realize.”

“Yeah,” Poe shuffled awkwardly. “That’s how Finn and I met, actually. He rescued me, we stole a tie, and crash landed into you.”

That made Rey smirk. “Thanks, Poe. But, I should really get back to my quarters like Leia said.”

“Alright,” he nodded farewell. “How about I bring you dinner once the meeting is over? Then I can fill you in?”

Rey nodded, “Yeah, that sounds great.”

Poe took off in the opposite direction, leaving Rey and her exhaustion. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Find me on twitter! @gingerirritant  
> I have a text-fic in the works, so be sure to check that out! 
> 
> Thanks for sticking around!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter count has gone, my dudes. I have no idea how long this is going to be.

As soon as she entered her room, Rey crashed onto her cot. 

She entered a fitful sleep, tossing and turning as images and voices plagued her mind. 

 

_ Rey.  _

_ You have no place in this story.\ _

_ You’re nothing. _

_ Scavenger. _

_ You have no place. _

_ You’re nothing. _

_ Rey. _

 

It wasn’t until someone knocked at her door that her mind finally quieted. Her eyes shot open at the second pounding. “Rey! Open up!” Came Poe’s voice, as promised. “I’ve got food!”

She hopped up from her bed, throwing off her covers and shivering as she made her way to the door’s keypad to let him in. 

As soon as the door retreated into the ceiling, Poe shoved past Rey to set down the covered bowls he carried, Rose following carrying a large covered plate.

“Hi, Rey!” Rose chirped. “You don’t mind if we all eat in here with you, do you?”

“Of course not,” Rey smiled at the shorter woman.

Poe began uncovering the meal and arranging plates and utensils. “Finn will be along in a few minutes. He had a meeting with the General after she dismissed us.”

“What about?” Rey asked as she stole a chunk of meat with her bare fingers before popping it in her mouth. It was warm and juicy, just what Rey needed to feel some semblance of heat on this frozen world. Rose grumbled, smacking Rey’s hand back from grabbing another piece and instead handed her a utensil to stab the meat with. 

“Something about a rehabilitation program for troopers that defect,” Poe answered filling a plate until it was almost overflowing and handing it to the fledgling Jedi. “Tuck in, Rey.” 

She did as told, slurping and devouring the food in front of her. Poe kept on dishing out the food while Rose’s nose crinkled at Rey’s lack of table manners. 

“Alright,” Poe started as he had a plate full for himself. “So, you heard me tell Leia that The First Order has changed tactics, that they’re focusing on rebuilding the systems they have taken over?” 

Rey nodded, mouth too full to speak. 

“So, we’ve intercepted treaties for the trade of agricultural goods rather than mining like they have been for certain systems, particularly the one Rose here hails from, Hays Minor,” Poe continued. “Of course, we were skeptical at first, but Leia read over the treaties and the other communications we found and it appears to be legitimate.”

“So, what does that mean for us?” Rey asked after swallowing her last bite. 

Poe sighed, “Leia thinks it means the fight is over, that the First Order is under, and I quote, ‘New Management’ but wouldn’t tell us how she got that information. She only said it was from a very credible source.” Rey stayed silent for a moment, digesting the fact that Leia had not outed her yet. “So,” Poe continued, “we’re laying low for a while, seeing what else this new management decides to do.”

“Are we staying on Hoth?” she asked.

“No,” Rose piped in, smirking, “Leia is sending a couple of pilots out to scout for a new base. Said something about not wanting to freeze to death before the end of the war.” Rey snorted. “Hopefully it will only be another week or so here.”

Someone knocked on the door, Poe reaching over to hit the button to grant the intruder access. “Hey, Finn.”

“Hi,” he smiled. “Did you tell her?”

Poe nodded, scooping another spoonful into his mouth. “Yep.”

“So, who do you think is in control?” Finn asked as he sat next to Rey on her cot. “It can’t be Hux.”

“Oh, why not?” Poe pouted. “I’m sure ole’ Hugsy has a soft side.”

Rose barked a laugh. “Yeah, a soft side for martial law.”

“Well, it can’t be Kylo Ren,” Finn frowned. All three people glanced at Rey at the mention of Ren. 

“But, he would be the only person that might be able to take Snoke,” Rose offered. 

Finn shook his head, “Kylo is too much of a brute to think of things like treaties.”

“People may surprise you,” Rey offered. 

Poe’s eyes squinted slightly at her as if trying to read her. 

“Leia isn’t too worried about who it is, though,” Finn stated. “She seems to think they can be reasoned with if they’re thinking about rebuilding the galaxy.”

Everyone else nodded in agreement. Silence filled the room while they ate, the subject then changing to where the new base may be. 

 

~

 

The announcement for lights out came over the comm system hours later, signaling the three to leave Rey for the evening. She saw them out, hugging both Finn and Rose. 

“Can we talk for a second?” Poe asked after the other two headed towards their own quarters. 

“Sure?” Rey responded, confused. 

Poe ran a hand through his unruly curls. “It’s just…” he trailed off. “I don’t know how to ask this, but…”

“Out with it, Poe.”

“When you said people may surprise you, who were you referring to?”

Rey froze for a moment, “Just, anyone?”

“No, you meant Kylo,” he bluntly stated. “I want to know why.”

Rey’s lips went white as she pursed them in thought. “I can’t say.”

“You’re Leia’s source, aren’t you?” his eyes widened in realization.

She flushed in frustration, “You can’t tell anyone. Not even Finn or Rose,” she pleaded. 

“I won’t,” he sighed, “but I wasn’t kidding when I told you that you could trust me.”

“I know,” she nodded sadly, “but I don’t even understand most of it myself.”

Poe smirked, “that’s why talking can help, Rey. Other people have different views and can help make sense of a particular issue.”

“I don’t think I’m ready yet,” she sighed, not knowing how to tell her friend that his torturer was beginning to bring peace to the galaxy. 

“Alright,” Poe frowned. “But I’m not going to stop asking until you tell me.”

“Of course you aren’t,” Rey snorted. “Goodnight, Poe.”

She shut her door as he turned away to walk back to his quarters for the evening.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As usual, let me know what you think! I'm not feeling the most confident about this story right now. 
> 
> Also, follow me on Twitter! @gingerirritant 
> 
> I love comments, kudos, and anything else you can do to show support, pretty please!


	6. Chapter 6

He was Kylo Ren. He was the most powerful user of the dark side of the force. 

Yet, when he looked in the mirror of his refresher, he only saw Ben Solo. The weak child that hid behind a mask, as if playing a pretend villain. 

And for the first time in his life, he didn’t hate it. 

Just merely disliked it. 

A loud tone came from his sitting-room-turned-office door. Kylo groaned.  _ Will they ever give me a moment’s peace?! _ He splashed some water on his face before drying it off slowly. 

He would always take his time, further pissing off his hot-headed General. Of course, Hux was only hot-headed when it came to Kylo and his rulings. Away from Kylo, he knew the general to be calculating and cunning- the exact reason Kylo kept him close. 

“General Hux,” Kylo drawled as soon as he allowed the other man to enter along with a small entourage. 

Hux did not trust Kylo in the least. He made sure to always keep at least three other higher-ups with him during any meeting with the new Supreme Leader, all bearing force-suppressing cuffs under their crisply-pressed uniforms, as well as other hidden weapons to control the wannabe Sith. “Supreme Leader. I wanted to go over this treaty business with y-”

“I will not budge on this, General,” Kylo snapped. “Your thirst for conquest and enslavement is unnecessary.” 

Hux pursed his lips, turning them as white as the rest of his face. “And you’re making the First Order into a new republic, Ren! The galaxy will think we’re weak, think they can strike against us!” 

Kylo sat down in a black armchair, crossing his legs and pressing the tips of his fingers together, calmly looking Hux and his men over. “I’m not sure what is wrong with bringing a bit of peace to the galaxy at this time. By bringing peace, we bring stability to both the people and our reign.” Kylo looked into Hux’s face, watching the redhead twitch in fury. “Snoke knew that at some point we would have to change our tactics,” he lied. “Perhaps he didn’t discuss his diplomatic plans with you, General, but I assure you that I am following his plans, just perhaps on a slightly faster timeline. Giving a little before gaining even more from these systems.”

“These systems will think we’re going soft,” Hux huffed. “If we could just reword the treaties to incl-”

“Enough, General,” Kylo raised his voice. “I will consult you when I need advice when it comes to warfare. But I don’t remember you studying diplomacy.”

“Very well then,  _ Supreme Leader,” _ Hux sneered. “I hope you understand what you’re doing.” The general turned on his heel with complete precision before marching out of the room, his men following suit. 

As soon as the door shut, Kylo pulled his leather gloves off and rubbed his face with so much vigor that his sight sparkled. He didn’t notice the bond roaring to life around him. 

“You seem stressed,” echoed Rey’s voice when he opened his eyes. “Diplomacy not everything it’s cracked up to be, huh?”

Kylo tried not to smirk at her teasing. He knew she meant it to sound harsh, but looking up at her, he saw her face soften. “Is being the last Jedi all it’s cracked up to be?”

“Mmm maybe not,” she smirked back. They sat in mutual silence for a few moments. “Where are you?”

“First you tell me,” he shot back, looking her over as she sat on his couch. 

“I’m on my cot, in my room.”

Kylo nodded, “I’m in my quarters as well.”

“Why the treaties?”

“Pardon?”

Rey huffed, “Why are you building up trade routes now?”

“The galaxy needs peace. In order to have peace, you need happy civilians. I’m trying to make them happy by giving them work that is good for both their worlds and their families,” Kylo spoke evenly. “I still don’t entirely know what I’m doing.”

“Well, your mother is certainly happy with your progress.”

“I still don’t know if I can believe she’s alive, Rey,” Kylo’s face fell. 

Rey’s mouth quirked downward, “I asked her.”

“And?”

“He didn’t want to send you to Luke,” Rey whispered. “He couldn’t say goodbye when you didn’t want to go.”

“He couldn’t stand up to my mother,” Kylo snorted. “She is her own force to be reckoned with.”

She smiled at him. “So, you believe me, then?”

“For now, Scavenger.”

The silence between them returned for a moment, comfortably. 

Kylo spoke first this time: “I need your help.”

“With what?”

He sighed, rubbing his face with his gloveless hand again. “I need to speak with her. I need to know what I should do next.”

Rey looked up at him, surprised. “So, you really are reforming the First Order?”

“You were right. This war needs to end.”

“Ben-”

“And she’s the only diplomat I know that’s still alive after Snoke let Hux run wild. Even if I don’t agree with everything she has done with her own power or family, she knows how to please the people,” he explained. “And perhaps,” Kylo continued before Rey could talk, “peace can be brought sooner rather than later.”

Rey stood and walked over to Kylo, kneeling in front of him so she could look him in the eyes. “Of course I’ll help you.” 

He reached out and touched her cheek, pulling her into his world. She gasped, realizing that for the first time, she had gone to him rather than he to her. As she turned her head to take in her surroundings, he brought her gaze back to him before he surged towards her, delicately brushing his lips across hers. 

“Ben,” she whispered as he pulled away, disappearing with the breath she used to speak. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOOOOOOOOOOOO
> 
>  
> 
> Comments, recs (if you're enjoying it and know someone else would, too?)  
> Follow me on Twitter for text fics in the near future! (@gingerirritant) You can follow me on Tumblr, too, but I haven't been posting there very much.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did NOT mean to leave you all hanging that long!! I'm sorry!

Rey stayed kneeling in front of her bedroom door for several minutes after the bond shut off. Her right hand hovered over her lips, where he had kissed her. 

He had kissed her. 

And she… she had wanted him to. 

She had wanted to kiss him since the elevator on the Supremacy. The way he looked at her so intensely. But, then they had been distracted by Snoke and his guard and their apparent misunderstandings of each other. 

But, she remembered, she needed to speak to Leia. It was very early in the morning on Hoth. It was still dark outside, not that anyone could tell with the lack of windows. Windows allowed the bitter, freezing cold in even more. Rey seriously doubted that it could get colder than she already was, but then again, she refused to step outside, already in pain from the cold as it was. 

Rey wondered if it was too early for her to make her way to Leia’s quarters. She doubted she could sleep herself now, too wired with energy from the events of the last couple of days, let alone the last few minutes. 

Instead, she bundled herself up in several sweaters and the old white parka Leia had gifted her and left her room to find something to eat. Someone was always awake on base, keeping watch or preparing food for the rest of the resistance. She wandered the halls, not paying attention to where she was walking, still thinking about everything Kylo- or was it Ben now?- had said. 

He was changing. The First Order was now working towards peace thanks to him. Rey almost couldn’t believe it. She had seen so many sides to Ben Solo… Kylo Ren… that she both completely understood him but had no idea where he was going to go next. He was a ticking time bomb, either for good or evil, and Rey could not figure out which way he was going to explode. 

Lost in her thoughts, she continued to wander the frozen halls. She had no destination in mind, just wandered as she processed her thoughts. Surely, if Luke Skywalker were still alive, her old "master" would tell her to reach out with her feelings rather than process it within. 

"Well," came an eerily echoing voice, "you're not wrong." 

Rey whipped her head around, only to see nothing out of the ordinary. So, she returned to her wandering patch, only to be stopped by the projection of Luke himself. 

"I would tell you to meditate on it," Luke chuckled, a sound she had never heard the crotchety man emit. "But, in my defense, that's the only formal training I received myself."

"Luke," she finally gasped. "How-?"

"The force works in mysterious ways, Rey," he responded with a smirk. "First, we should discuss your intentions with my nephew."

 

~

 

Kylo had shrunk into his armchair with a frustrated pout.  _ Damn the force! Why did I do that? _

He chewed on his cheek, allowing the last few seconds to replay in his mind.  _ She didn't pull away. _

After a few minutes, he stood from his chair and stormed into his sleeping quarters. He stripped his singed cowl off, discarding it in a random corner. Hux had insisted Kylo dress for his new station, but Kylo preferred to keep his basic black. He wasn't one for gold robes or throne rooms- especially not after his last encounter with one- and he wasn't about to use unnecessary funds to create the illusion of another brutal dictator willing to spend the people's money on his own comfort. No, he'd keep the battle-worn cowl, fix the helmet he destroyed in one of his tantrums, and rule out of the public eye as much as possible. 

He went to start stripping his coat off when his comm alerted him to a newly recorded message. Reaching for it, he noted that the message was encrypted and the sender unknown. He was intrigued. More than likely it was a threat from another rebellious group or unhappy government.

Kylo pressed the button to play, only to see his mother, in miniature form, appear before him. She had aged greatly since he last saw her, sending him off with Luke to the newly built temple. 

"Ben," she spoke softly. It was the same tone she would use to calm him after a nightmare. "Rey tried to explain what's happened between the two of you in the past couple of weeks. I may not know or understand any of it, but I can see the changes you’re making as Supreme Leader- I hate that title, by the way. Your father liked to call Snoke the Supreme Nerfherder. No doubt he’d be laughing it up right now.”

“Come up with something better, then, and I’ll use it,” Kylo found himself muttering to the holo-version of his mother. 

“Anyway, this message is me saying that I’m proud of the changes you’ve been making. I wanted to open communication between us, if you’re interested, rather than making Rey go back and forth constantly,” she sighed. “I realize I sound hypocritical for that last statement by asking you to let me know if you’re willing to take this white flag in exchange for peace and safety on our end.” Leia looked right into his eyes as if knowing exactly where he would be sitting, “Ben, please, we are desperate to relocate. While many of those here would not appreciate seeking asylum from you, I believe that once they understand the changes you’re making and see how much Rey trusts you that they will come around. None of this is going to be easy, but I think we can work together. I love you, Ben. Let me know what you think.” And with that, she fizzled out. 

Kylo groaned with his head in his hands.  _ At least she and I are on the same page.  _ Though, he wasn’t sure what Hux would think about Kylo extending the Resistance asylum. He’d need to be covert, time everything so that Hux couldn’t sense the betrayal underneath his slimy nose. 

He continued to strip off his clothes and climbed into bed. Instead of pulling the covers over himself, he pulled his datapad into his lap and began researching. He didn’t stop until well into the next day cycle. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up: Rey's conversation with Force Ghost Luke!
> 
> Let me know what you think! Thank you so much for reading!


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I think I finally have a legit outline for this thing. 
> 
> Let's do this!

“Jakku?” Rey whispered back to him, not trusting her ears and brain to comprehend exactly what he was suggesting. “You want us to seek asylum on Jakku?”

Kylo nodded solemnly. He had appeared in her quarters merely a minute ago, getting right to the point of what they needed to talk about, not knowing how much time they had together. “I know that’s not what you wanted to hear, Rey, and I’m sorry. But, it’s one of the few systems that Hux has no interest in, especially after he learned about your childhood there. He thinks there’s no way that you would hide out there, that the villagers there would tear you apart, especially the man that owned you-

“Unkar Plutt.”

“Yes, that Plutt would stop at nothing to kill you for destroying his outpost,” Kylo explained. “But, there’s another outpost on the opposite side of the planet. One that Plutt doesn’t control, though I can’t promise he won’t ever visit-”

“He never leaves Niima Outpost,” Rey said darkly. “He sends his few trusted scouts to the other outposts and villages to scavenge and make his deals.” Memories of him threatening to send her with the scuzziest of all of his scouts when she misbehaved one too many times flooded her mind. 

Kylo nodded in agreement, her uncomfortable feelings flooding the bond. Somehow she was able to keep the actual memories from him. “I figured as much.” He sighed and rubbed his face with an ungloved hand, clearly in the comfort of his own quarters even though Rey couldn’t see his surroundings. “I have an idea, though, to keep you out of the outpost if you want.”

“Ben, I’m the only one that knows how to deal with them,” Rey argued. “I can’t imagine Poe being able to barter for portions without getting himself shot.”

Kylo smirked at that. “What a shame that would be.”

“Stop it.”

“There’s an abandoned village by this outpost,” he continued on. “The resistance could set up residence there for the time being.”

“What about money and food?” she asked, suddenly imagining little Rose scavenging with her, or Finn yelling about the fairness of payment. 

“I’m still working that out,” he admitted. “But, the First Order has secret accounts, some I don’t even think Hux knows about, but I will make sure before dipping into them, but I will work out a way to get you credits so that you don’t have to scavenge.”

Rey thought about it for a moment. She folded her arms over her chest to try to keep herself warm. “If we aren’t seen as doing our part, we’re going to be found out. The other villages will try to take us down.”

“Alright,” Kylo took in the information, looking down at his shoes. “We can work out a system, make it look like you’re all working, or something. I’ll send food so you don’t have to live off of portions.”

Rey finally looked into his eyes at the promise of real food. “You’re really willing to help us?”

“I am,” he said. He looked up, seeing her hazel eyes staring at him. “Rey,” he swallowed, “I-”

“You what?” she snapped. He could feel her anger towards him, a hint of betrayal wafted through the bond with it. 

“I’m sorry,” he sighed, moving towards her. “I know you don’t want to go back to that place,” he tried to sympathize. “But it’s the only option I can come up with.” He approached her and she stayed leaning against the wall like a sullen teenager. “I just want to keep you safe.”

“I’d say I don’t need your help, but…” she trailed off, her mouth pouting, tears starting to form in her hazel eyes. "Why-"

Kylo reached out to pull her to him. His arms wrapped around her fully. She let him, but kept her arms crossed, leaning into him. “I’m sorry,” he simply said again, arms tightening around her.

After a moment, her arms dropped, wrapped lightly around his waist and she nuzzled into his shirt. They stayed that way for several moments. He started to pat her back, almost awkwardly. 

“I stole the Falcon from him,” Rey mumbled into his chest. Kylo stilled and pulled away from her to look at her. 

“What?”

“I stole the Falcon from Plutt,” she sniffled, having been silently crying into his chest. “That’s how Finn and I escaped Jakku.” Kylo just stared at her. “So, I think he’s out for more than just my blood. Probably would prefer to mount my corpse as a warning to his other scavengers to behave.” 

Kylo’s mouth twisted in distaste. “He’s not going to lay a hand on you.”

“We’ve been through this,” she laughed once. “He’ll have his thugs do his dirty work, as always.” 

He held his breath before chuckling. “Really? The Falcon was being held on Jakku? As junk?” Kylo laughed in earnest now. It was the first time Rey had ever seen him smile and she couldn’t help but smile as well.

“I mean, it  _ is _ garbage. How it’s still able to fly is beyond me,” she reasoned. “I don’t think Plutt knew what he had, dumb old blobfish.”

“That is the best thing I’ve heard in a long time,” Kylo breathed, a small twinkle in his eye that Rey couldn’t help but notice. “If Plutt is that stupid to not know he had one of the most notorious freighters in the galaxy, then he’s going to be too stupid to know you’re back on-world.”

Rey shrugged, “We hope.”

“I need to set up a meeting with the General,” he continued. “I want to meet with her in person if that’s possible.”

“And how do you propose that happens?” Rey rolled her eyes. “I can’t imagine you showing up here, storming onto the base is going to go over well.”

“I don’t suppose it would,” he nodded. “We could meet on Jakku, I can show you and the General the village, work out the specifics.”

Rey put more distance between them, chewing on her lip in thought. 

“What is it?” he asked, knowing something was eating at her. He could feel it through the bond, something nagging at the back of his mind. 

She took in a breath before asking “What are we doing?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, what are  _ we _ doing?” she asked again. “You- you kissed me. What does that mean?”

Kylo’s brow creased,  _ oh. _ “I thought it was obvious.”

Rey’s face crumpled. “We’re on different sides-”

“Not anymore,” he reasoned. “I won’t let anything happen to you. I’ll train you- If you’re willing.”

She stared up at him, actually hearing his offer this time around rather than falling on ears overwhelmed by battle and the sounds of engaged lightsabers. But before she had time to consider him, the connection cut and they were both left standing alone in their quarters, each falling onto their own beds, emotionally spent. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How are we feeling, folks?
> 
> What are you thinking about this plan of Kylo's? 
> 
> Yep, we're playing with the ROS Trailer!


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey is on her way to discuss her latest Kylo-sighting with his mother but gets side-tracked by her friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi... it's been a while since this one was updated! With the newest trailer, I think I have some really great ideas coming at you! 
> 
> Sorry if this chapter seems a little irrelevant and slow, but I promise there's a need for it.

Rey rose from a deep nap. Once she has collapsed on her bed, she fell into a deep, hard slumber. When she woke, she did not feel refreshed, but as if she was walking through a haze.

She remembered that she needed to tell Leia, needed to get her to agree to move to Jakku rather than stay on Hoth- though, the idea of going from one desert extreme to the next felt horrific to Rey- and actually meet with her son. 

It was the former she was going to have some issues with, and not necessarily with Leia. 

"Rey!" Came a shout from down the hall. Rey whipped her head around to see Finn jogging towards her. She mustered a smile for her oldest friend. 

"Hey, Finn," she greeted.

Finn gave her a look of concern, "Is everything alright? I haven't really seen you for the past few days."

"Yeah," she nodded and lied. "Yeah, I'm just trying to get used to this much cold," she shrugged. 

Realization dawned on him. "Is there anything I can do?"

"No, I'll be okay." 

"I have most of the day off," he started. "I saw you only have one shift with Poe later and he mentioned something about-"

"Rey? Finn?" Came the graveled voice of their General. "Why aren't you two in the hall eating dinner while it's hot?"

"I was coming to see you, General," Rey quickly answered. "About our earlier meeting." The younger want stared pointedly at the elder. 

Leia looked her up and down before nodding. "Alright, I need to grab something to eat before it gets too cold. Can this be discussed in the hall?"

Rey gave the older woman a look that said 'absolutely not'. "You said to use the utmost discretion, General," she lied. 

Leia nodded, catching on. "Meet me in my quarters in a bit, then,” she ordered. “I need to discuss something quickly with Chewie beforehand.”

“Yes, General,” Rey agreed. 

“Go get something to eat,” Leia said with authority. “Both of you, that’s an order.” She smiled mildly at them both. 

The two of them followed her into the mess hall and into the line to be served the same hot, bland stew they’d been feasting on their entire time here, breakfast, lunch, and dinner. To Rey it was a banquet and she scraped every bowl clean, sometimes even trying to grab seconds. Today, though, today Rey was barely hungry, as had been on trend since hers and Kylo’s force connection began to open again. 

She took the full bowl, hoping that Finn wouldn’t notice her lack of appetite again. 

“Rey! Finn!” called Poe’s voice from across the hall. The hall wasn’t very large, considering, needing to keep the heat from the kitchen within the room, the ceiling was low and tables squished together to accommodate the last of the resistance, of which were few and far between still. 

Finn led the way over to their group. Poe was already sitting with Kaydel and Rose, who had just been released from the medical center earlier that day, with BB8 hanging out underneath the table like a pet, little head resting against Poe’s leg while he powered down momentarily.

Kaydel scooched over to let Rey sit between her and Poe while Finn joined Rose on the other side.

“So, we were just talking about plans for tomorrow,” Poe started. “We both have most of the day off tomorrow, Rey, so we were all thinking about having a little celebration in mine and Finn’s quarters.”

“Celebration for what?” Rey asked, confused. 

“It’s my birthday tomorrow,” Kaydel announced. “And we need to celebrate Rose’s recovery!”

“And we try to celebrate as many good things as possible,” Rose piped up. “Keeps morale up.”

Rey scrunched her face in confusion, “What’s a birthday?”

Everyone turned towards her, slightly shocked aside from Finn. “We didn’t celebrate them in the First Order, either,” he shrugged. “It’s the anniversary of the day you were born.”

Rey thought for a moment before failing to keep her face from falling. Again, only Finn caught on. “I don’t know mine, either,” he said quietly as he reached for her hand to squeeze in solidarity. “We were never given information about ourselves.”

“That’s awful,” Rose frowned. “You know what? Your birthdays are the day you both came to us. Because it’s more of an anniversary for the day you joined your family.”

Rey smiled through unshed tears, “Yeah, that’s perfect.” Finn reached for Rose’s hand with his free one and squeezed them both.

“Alright, alright,” Poe rolled his eyes, “Enough with the sappiness, let’s get to planning.”

“I’ve got some whiskey stashed in my room,” Kaydel announced. “Like three bottles I found when we got here.”

“Bless the rebellion and their drinking habits,” Poe joked. 

“Shouldn’t we have some food if we’re going to be drinking?” Rose asked. “I don’t fancy a hangover while I work on the heating system the next morning, especially with it being my first day back to actually working.”

Poe waved her off, “Don’t worry, I’ll find something we can munch on. But is everyone up for it?”

The collective group nodded and showed enthusiasm, except for Rey. 

“How about you, Rey?” Poe asked, a hopeful look in his eyes. “Are you up for a little celebration?”

“Sure,” she finally said. “I can try to be there.”

“What else have you got going on?” Finn asked, slightly offended not knowing about his friend’s other obligations. “Your schedule is completely open.”

“I.. uh,” she fought for the right words. “I need to train and figure out how to fix the lightsaber.”

“How are you supposed to do that?” Kaydel asked, completely baffled. “I mean, the only other trained force users out there are the Knights of Ren, right?”

Rey shrugged, “I’ll figure it out.”

“Is that what you wanted to talk to General Organa about?” Finn tried. 

Rey nodded, allowing the white lie to grow. “Partially.” She wanted nothing more than for the conversation to turn away from her. Luckily, with enough begging the force, it did.

“Oh, shoot,” Kaydel swore. “We’re going to be late,” she motioned to Poe. 

“To what?” Finn asked through a full mouth of food. 

Poe sighed, “We’re running a perimeter with a couple of the others. Making sure old satellites are dead, seeing if there are any wampa close by that we need to avoid.”

“Why didn’t we do that earlier?” Rose asked. 

“We did,” Kaydel shrugged. “But it started to storm. Today is going to be much clearer.”

“Rey,” came the General’s voice from above her. “I’ll be in my quarters when you’re ready, yes?”

“Yes, ma’am.” Rey nodded, as the others stared at the exchange. 

“And, Poe,” Leia started. “Wear your goggles this time.” The General walked off without another word while Poe pouted as he and Kaydel made their way to their station. 

Rose and Finn started talking in hushed tones, Finn making sure she was still feeling alright. She was paler than she had been when they had sat down and Rey was also concerned. “I should take Rose back to her room, are you going to be ok?”

“Yeah, I should follow General Organa in a second anyway,” she shooed them, pretending to shovel another spoonful into her mouth. “I’ll see you guys tomorrow.” She gave them a tight-lipped smile for encouragement, sending them off. 


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A double update!!! WOOO!

“Did you eat enough?” was the first thing out of Leia’s mouth when Rey entered her quarters. 

Rey nodded, full enough after a few bites. 

“It seems like you’ve been seeking me out a lot, Rey,” Leia noted. “And you have no idea how much it means to me that you trust me. I take it you’ve talked to him recently?”

“Earlier this morning,” Rey sighed. “He has an idea that he wants to run past you.”

Leia’s eyebrows shot up, surprised at how quickly things were coming together when it came to Rey and Kylo’s relationship, whatever the nature was- Leia had her suspicions. “What is it?”

“He wants to talk to you in person,” Rey started. “On Jakku, where he thinks he has a good spot for a base.”

“He wants to send you to a place where there’s a large bounty on your head?” Leia drolled. “I swear, that’s something his father would have done,” she said lowly, more to herself than Rey. “What do you think?”

Rey stood for a moment, still not having had the proper time or energy to process the information. “I don’t know,” she huffed as she threw herself into a chair. “I honestly don’t know.”

“Neither do I, Rey,” Leia tried to get on the younger woman’s level. “Neither I nor my son can tell you to go back there. I don’t know the details of your life there, I only know what Finn told me of how you got away and the bounty Unkar Plutt has put on your head for stealing the Falcon if you step on-world again. And that alone seems like a good reason not to go back.”

“There’s a bounty on my head no matter where we go,” Rey pointed out. “And I know Jakku. I know the type of people that live there. I know how to survive there. If we keep to ourselves, make a meager living off of scrapping at another outpost, we can fly under the radar until we have more people and money to work with.”

Leia nodded along, “Alright. That’s a fair assessment. I just want to make sure you’re okay with this plan.” Rey nodded in understanding. They sat in silence for a moment before Leia spoke up again, “So, how does he want to meet in person?”

“We didn’t get into specifics yet,” Rey snorted lightly. “But, it was mentioned that you and I would meet him before we move the Resistance, see the deserted village he found for us to move into, and-”

Her ears buzzed in the familiar and now slightly-welcome way. She braced herself and gave a pointed look at Leia. 

“Ben?” she asked aloud. Leia tried to hide a smirk at the use of her son’s given name. 

“I’m here,” he replied right away. “I’m alone, obviously.” 

Rey turned around to find him sitting in a chair, once again shirtless, sporting loose pants and thick socks, staring at a datapad and drinking a dark liquid from a glass tumbler. “I’m with your mother,” she stated. Kylo’s head jerked up from his reading. “I’m filling her in on your idea.”

“What has she said so far?” he asked. 

“I can’t do this,” Rey huffed, already irritated with being the person in the middle. “I need you to be able to talk to each other.” Her hands went to her head, rubbing out any tension that she could. “Give me your hand,” she beckoned to Kylo. 

He knew exactly what she was getting at and moved closer to her, reaching his hand out to grab her shoulder. 

Leia sat up straighter at the sight of her half-dressed son, scars riddled across his upper body gave her more of a shock than his built figure. “Hello, Ben,” she choked out. 

“Mother,” he nodded, looking very uncomfortable. 

“You want us to go back to Jakku,” Leia stated. “Where Rey would be put in very real danger.”

Kylo nodded. “I think the benefits will outweigh the risks. If easily recognized people would stay in the village rather than trading or scavenging, then I think it could work,” he explained, lightly squeezing Rey’s shoulder. “But, we both know Rey will want to take the lead.”

“Rey, this is ultimately your choice,” Leia spoke to her, rather than about her. “It’s your homeworld, you know it the best.”

Rey sat there, trying to think, but the thoughts weren’t working. She could only see the sand that blew into her fallen AT-AT during storms and feel the suns beating down onto her neck. “I don’t know,” she finally whispered. Kylo pulled the second chair to him while still grasping her shoulder, sitting down next to her. 

“At least meet me there?” he begged. “See what’s there, discuss how things would work.”

Leia sat there watching them, how Rey relaxed when he spoke softly and how her son could actually speak softly- it was not a trait either of his parents had had- and the way their eyes danced around each other. “How about if Rey stays behi-”

“If any of us are going, I’m going, too,” Rey said with authority. “If you sent Finn or Poe by themselves, they’d get themselves killed, if not by the locals, then by him,” she jerked her thumb at Kylo. Kylo just shrugged, realizing she was right. “Let’s go.”

“Is next cycle too soon?” Kylo asked, knowing his time with Rey and his mother was going to be cut short any second. 

“Alright, Rey and I will meet you next cycle,” Leia nodded. “But, you won’t blame me if I bring a couple of extra people for extra security, will you?”

“Who were you thinking?” Kylo growled. 

“Your Uncle,” Leia said simply. “And probably my right hand-”

“I’d like to avoid Poe Dameron,” Kylo snarled. 

“I’m not talking about Poe,” Leia sighed. “You remember Kaydel?”

Kylo thought for a moment before nodding, “Your intern? The one you had babysit me when I broke the droid?”

“Yes, she’s my lieutenant now,” Leia waved him off. “She’ll be with us.”

Kylo frowned, remembering the blonde girl as a teenager. She was aloof, but authoritative when she needed to be. “I’ll come alone, but I need to have your word that Chewie won’t shoot me again.”

“What?” came Leia’s snap. 

Rey looked between the mother and son. Leia’s mouth turned down and sour while Kylo stared at her seriously. 

“He shot me after I-” Kylo tried to explain, pointing to the largest of his scars to show where the bowcaster hit. 

Leia held her hand up to stop him from saying what she already realized. “If he does, he will answer to me,” his mother said menacingly. “And make sure to wear a shirt tomorrow, Ben. You’ll burn as soon as you set foot on world.”

Kylo’s eyes rolled as a reflex to his mother’s nagging. 

“And Ben?” Leia started, making him look her in the face. “I’m proud of you.”

That took Kylo by surprise, making him build up his defenses again. “I need to talk to Rey. Alone.” 

Leia nodded and stood up carefully from her seat. She hobbled out of the room but not before stopping to caress her son’s cheek. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Kylo looked down at the floor when she touched him, his grip on Rey’s shoulder tightening. Once the door clicked shut, he sighed and shut his eyes tightly, leaning forward to rest his forehead against her. 

“You’re really going to come alone?” she finally broke the silence. 

“I am,” came his strained voice. “I can’t trust anyone on my end.”

Rey turned to fully face him. “Will you send me the coordinates of the village once the connection breaks?”

He nodded, allowing his soft hair to rub against her. She envied her parka for being the buffer between her bare skin and his hair but shook her head of the thought before she took it further. He finally straightened himself, making sure to keep his hand on her as he stood up to his full height. “I need to go, I can hear my datapad going off,” he said. “I’ll see you soon, Scavenger,” he smirked with the last line, Rey frowned at the old name. 


	11. Chapter 11

“I’m your best pilot!” Poe screeched later that evening, somewhere in the middle of the night. “And you won’t even tell me where you’re going?”

“Need to know, Dameron,” Leia barked. “And you don’t need to know. At least not yet.”

Leia had gathered herself, Chewie, and Kaydel to ready a small ship for their trip to Jakku. Poe, being Poe Dameron, had been working on the X-Wing well into the evening and was eager to get it up and running. 

Luckily, Chewie had also been working on a side project during their first couple of weeks on Hoth. While he hadn’t been rebuilding a ship, he and Leia had procured a small transport ship for trips exactly like this one. The Falcon was their only other ship, and it was too easily recognized, especially for this excursion. 

“Leia, come on!” Poe pleaded. “You need more back up than just those two.”

“That’s enough, Dameron,” she shut him down. “I’ll not hear another word. You are to stay here, protect the base while we’re gone.”

Rey was in the hall outside of the hangar, listening to the dispute. She was too exhausted, both physically and mentally, to engage. She was running out of time to get on the ship, but Poe didn’t sound like he was going to leave any time soon. Rey didn’t feel like being interrogated by the pilot right then. But, she needed to suck it up and make her way on board. 

She checked her satchel for the sixth time before heading in, making sure she had appropriate clothes, not only to survive in the planet’s heat, but also to hide her face. Her old goggles and light-colored headwraps were more than likely lost to the sand as well as recognizable by Plutt’s lackeys. In her bag were newly fashioned wraps, but no goggles. Rey also decidedly wore her hair in a different fashion. While the three-buns were her only connection to a faceless mother, they were easily distinguished among the other female human scavengers. Instead, she sported a single braid that ended at the nape of her neck. 

Chewie shouted that they needed to leave quickly if they were going to make their timeline, making Rey jump and close her satchel quickly, a feeling a guilt rushing through her. 

She quickly slipped into the hangar, keeping her head down so as not to attract attention if she could help it.

“I thought it was need to know!” Poe shouted, noticing the younger woman walking towards them. 

Leia sighed and pinched her nose, “It is. Rey is needed for the mission.”

“Then wh-”

“Again, that’s need-to-know, Dameron.”

“But-”

“And who else would I be able to put in charge if you joined us?” Leia all but shouted. “If you came, then Finn would feel the need to join us, especially if he knew Rey was on board, and Rose wouldn’t be able to stay behind… and honestly, we have room for only four passengers and a droid.” 

Poe perked up slightly at the idea of being in charge. “Fine, but I want to be filled in as soon as possible,” he said, looking pointedly at Rey who shrank back at the familiarity he was showing. “We can’t win this war if we’re divided.”

“I agree,” Leia simply stated, hiding a smirk. “And if this all goes well, we will debrief the entire base on our next steps. Now, Dameron, no side excursions and, more importantly, no missions without checking in. We’re hoping to bring back a few extra supplies, too, so there is absolutely no reason for you or anyone else to go joyriding.”

He nodded, clearly unhappy with the entire situation. Rey scampered on board before he could stop her and talk to her. Leia followed slowly behind, using her cane to pull herself up the ramp. 

“Alright, Chewie,” Leia sighed as she sat down in a seat behind the pilot’s chair. “Let’s get going. Set coordinates to Jakku. Just outside Orkoon Hub.” 

Chewie gave her a look before a small chirp in understanding. 

“Are you sure you want to do this, Rey?” Leia turned to her. Rey nodded, still not having uttered a word all day. “Okay, but say the word and we turn around.”

“I know,” Rey finally whispered from the co-pilot’s seat, helping Chewie to take off. “I’ll be fine.” 

She was nervous for many reasons. Too many reasons. She was nervous to see Kylo in person, yes, but she was more afraid of going back to where her memories began, where the life she led was stagnant and lonely. 

Most of the flight was quiet, mostly Leia and Kaydel chatting about resources and how to keep the base up and running. From listening, Rey realized that Kaydel was heading into Cratertown to trade for a few parts that Poe needed as well as some portions so they could ration their food a little bit longer. 

“I’ll go with you,” Rey interrupted them. “If you’re trading for portions, you need to know what to look for. You don’t want to poison the entire base if you can help it.”

Kaydel nodded, “Alright, that is incredibly helpful.”

“We don’t need Chewie,” Rey continued. “No offense, but you should stay with the General.”

Leia pursed her lips. “Are you sure that’s the best idea? Leaving me and Chewie with…” she trailed off. 

Kaydel shot her superior a confused glance. “Are we doing something other than a supply run?” she asked, having been left out of the loop. 

Leia nodded, “We’re scouting out a new base. I didn’t give you all of the information because I didn’t want Poe to find out the, ah, finer details.”

Rey turned back towards the controls, not wanting to see Kaydel’s reaction. 

“The intel you received about the First Order ceasing fire on many different planets and setting up trade routes was correct. The new Supreme Leader is more sympathetic to our cause.”

“The new Supreme Leader is Kylo Ren,” Kaydel deadpanned. 

Chewie turned around quickly, almost smacking Rey, and roared. 

“Yes, I do, Chewie,” Leia said calmly. “We are meeting him at Orkoon Hub to negotiate.”

“Negotiate. With a Sith.” Kaydel’s mind was reeling, Rey could feel through the force. 

“He’s not a Sith,” Rey suddenly defended. 

Leia nodded in agreement, “He’s not a Sith, but he was trained in the ways of the dark side, and he’s my son.”

The rest of the cabin went silent for a moment. “What are we negotiating?” Kaydel finally asked, letting the information sink in. 

“Well, until General Hux is out of the picture, we’re not free to roam the galaxy, even with the cease-fire. He has a new base in mind for us,” she said slowly. 

Leia continued explaining the mission to her right hand throughout the trip.

Sooner than she had hoped, Jakku was in sight. It looked just as small but felt more daunting than the first time she had seen it from space, not too long ago with Finn as her unlikely copilot. While she had never called it home, it was the place where she raised herself, waiting for her family to come back. There was no familiarity to it from this view aside from a feeling of dread and unease at the prospect of being left behind by her current crew. Deep down she knew better. 

Chewie, sensing her unease, placed a paw on her shoulder. Rey turned toward him and gave him a wavering smile. He patted her quickly before going back to the controls, needing to focus more now that they were out of hyperspace. 

As they began their descent, she felt the bond opening, as if Kylo were welcoming her, calming her and most of the doubts she had about this excursion.

She reached out, not speaking so as not to give them away.  

He was there. And he was alone, as promised. 


	12. Chapter 12

His Tie Silencer was parked in a deep canyon. The crevice offered the perfect amount of cover and privacy for their miniature summit meeting, but since he didn’t know what ship they would be bringing, he made sure it was suitable for a novice to land the Falcon. He honestly didn’t think they would be as brash as to bring the Falcon, but at the same time he didn’t know where they stood on money and ships- he was internally kicking himself for not checking on that. He did know, however, that now that they had it back, Chewie would not abandon it on whatever frozen planet they were hiding out on, making the need for satisfactory cover a necessity anyways. 

The village he had scouted out for a new base was in the next crevice of the canyon over, too. Making it easily accessible to the small group he was expecting to meet. 

Kylo sat under the shade of his ship, watching their transport grow in size as it made its way through the atmosphere. He wasn’t dressed in his usual heavy black garb. Sure, it was still black and dark grey, but he came prepared after his last visit to Jakku by wearing thin layers. The last time he set foot on-world it had been after the suns had set- it was freezing. But he knew how hot dessert worlds could get. So, he shed the cape and the quilted tunic for a shirt made of gauzy dark grey fabric that he rolled the sleeves up to his elbows, but kept the same tight, black pants he always wore. 

His helmet sat on his ship, underneath his folded cape. 

The transport ship grew closer as Ben reached out through the bond again, guiding Rey to the canyon crevice. He could sense her apprehension as well as excitement, or was that his excitement? At this point, he couldn’t be sure. 

But, then he could sense another presence. Three, really. But the one, his mother, stood out the most. And at that moment, Kylo felt like a kid, waiting for his mother to dole out his punishment for destroying another droid. 

They landed with great care, putting some distance between the two ships. Kylo began making his way to meet them halfway, noticing that first off of their ship was Chewbacca. Kylo recognized the tall and hairy figure right away, making him flinch in respect to their last meeting. Next walked off his mother, using both a cane and leaning on another figure. It hurt Kylo to see his mother asking for assistance- it wasn’t like her to show weakness when it was time to negotiate anything, be it politics or bedtime. 

The last off the ship was Rey, easily recognizable by her tall but slender figure as well as her presence in the force. She stood on the ramp, staring at him as the others began their trek towards their negotiations. It took Kylo everything to not keep walking towards them. 

Chewie walked behind Leia and Kaydel, roaring at Rey to keep up. She scampered to follow. 

They walked with purpose, making Kylo’s nerves ease but go haywire at the same time. In a mere minute, they had made their way towards him, everyone staying silent. Kaydel just stared, not knowing what to think of the man that stood before them. 

“Ben,” Leia croaked. 

“Mother,” he responded, nodding in recognition. 

Chewie roared again, chastising Kylo, or rather “Pup”, for something unintelligible. In response, Rey smacked the Wookiee’s arm. 

“Not the time, Chewie,” Leia said. “If you can’t behave, you’re going back on the ship.” The Wookiee chirped a couple of words in apology to his oldest friend and went silent. 

They all just stared at each other for a minute, Kylo not knowing where to start or how to approach the group. 

Leia cleared her throat at the awkwardness of it all. “Why don’t we start with the village?” as if she could read his thoughts. Kylo nodded and turned on his heel the best he could on the sand. “How far is it?” she asked, nodding to her need for a cane. 

“The entrance is right through that cave,” he pointed to his left. “It takes us through to another crevice so that you’ll have use of the daylight hours.” He began walking towards it, making sure not to take too long of strides, remembering that his mother was both tiny and injured at the hands of his own men. 

The rest of the group began to follow him, Rey trudging behind the group. She kept looking over her shoulders, making sure no one was coming upon them. She could feel the paranoia taking over her and she knew it was unfounded- no one came out scavenging this far- but she couldn’t help feeling as if she were being watched since she set foot in the hangar back on Hoth. 

“Rey!” called Leia, noticing the young woman dragging behind. Rey jogged to catch up to the group. 

The village was deserted, just as Kylo had promised. Rey sensed no other sentient being as she reached out into the force. It was large enough to house four times the population of the current Resistance comfortably- more if needed. Once they stepped into one of the dwellings, Rey was overwhelmed. It was vastly different than her AT-AT. They entered into a proper kitchen, even if it needed updating with a new stove it was far better lit and equipped than her make-shift home of just over a decade. 

Kylo was almost too tall for the house, having to duck down in the archways between rooms. Rey couldn’t help but laugh internally at the thought of the Supreme Leader hitting his head against the ceiling, but it never happened. Chewie had stayed outside, looking for a hovel that might suit his needs better, or even one he could blast open just enough for his own comfort. 

“I think every house is set up like this, some are older units and need more updating, but from the sounds of things, you don’t need every unit? At least not yet?” Kylo asked, hopefully. 

“No,” Leia agreed. Kaydel looked at her superior in shock, surprised that Leia was giving so much information away. “Perhaps we should sit down and discuss a little more what the plan is for moving us all here and how we’re going to work well as well as your plans for the First Order.”

Kylo nodded, “Yes, I have a few ideas, but I need help,” he said, looking down at the floor, clearly displeased with himself for failing to lead as he was trained and tortured to do. 

“Can we get some explanations here?” Kaydel finally snapped. “I don’t understand-”

Leia held a hand up, silencing her Lieutenant. “I apologize, Kay. We do owe you an explanation. We owe everyone an explanation, but it needs to be at the right time. You know Poe would revolt if he knew we were working with Kylo Ren directly, even if it means taking down the First Order.”

Kaydel went white, “Kylo Ren?”

“You’re looking at him, Kay,” Leia smirked. “My son, Ben Solo.”

Kylo just stood on the other side of the room from the band of rebels as Kaydel tried to understand. 

“I thought he died when the temple was destroyed,” Kaydel argued, clearly confused. 

“No,” Kylo finally spoke. “I destroyed it.”

The rest of the room was silent, only Rey knew the truth of what really happened that night but didn’t feel like it was her story to tell. Everyone besides Rey looked at Kylo expectantly. 

“I was provoked,” he stated, but no one was satisfied. 

“Ben, you don’t have to tell us what happened that night,” Leia started. “Not ye-”

“Not yet,” he agreed before she could finish. “We have other things to talk about.”

The group sat down around a large table placed in a room adjacent to the kitchen. “Let’s talk,” Leia agreed.


	13. Chapter 13

"So, the terms are clear, then," Leia stated after a long discussion filled with few arguments, much to her surprise. "You'll remain a nameless benefactor until the time is right, and our communications will go through these cloaked comms." Four communicators sat on the table between all of them, exactly like the one Rey had held onto while she spent time on Ach-to. Kaydel worked quickly to write up a formal agreement.

Kylo nodded in agreement, fiddling with the cuff of his shirt. "No one, other than those in this room will know that the Supreme Leader is defecting from the First Order until the time is right."

“And when will that be?” finally came Rey’s voice, cracking with uncertainty.

Rey had stayed silent throughout the entire meeting until now, awkwardly making eye contact every now and then with Kylo, but quickly averting once she was caught staring. 

He still looked off in his appearance, though once she thought about it she had nothing but their first meeting to compare to for a sense of normalcy. That day she had been struck by his beauty- how plush his lips were and how sleek his hair was even after being forced into that awful mask for probably hours. It was before the scar she gave him marred his face, but that was now healed over into a pale pink line, rather than the angry purple one she had seen in the throne room. 

“I’m not sure yet,” he said lowly, only to Rey. “I’m still trying to figure out who I can trust, if anyone, and it will depend on you.”

Rey just stared at him, wondering if he meant the resistance or just her. 

“Why don’t we take a look around before we sign?” Leia asked her Lieutenant. “See where Chewie wandered off to?” Kaydel nodded and stood up warily, closing her datapad after making sure her document had saved. Rey stood up to join them, but as they walked out, Kylo put a hand on her shoulder to stop her gently, but it felt like a jolt of electricity went through her. 

“Rey,” he breathed. She finally looked up into his eyes, seeing a mixture of pain, anger, and resignation. 

"Luke came to see me," she blurted out in a hushed tone. Kylo just stared at her, dumbstruck by her sudden confession. "As a ghost or something."

Kylo was struck by the information that his uncle had died but quickly recovered and nodded. "Force ghosts. Only strong force users can return after death."

Rey just stared as she could see him work through different emotions. "He wants to speak with both of us," she finally relayed. "But-"

"No," Kylo snapped. 

"I know," she said, head drooping in shame at bringing it up. "I told him that. But he has more to teach me-"

"No," Kylo suddenly snapped. "He can't teach you anything that I don't know."

Rey's head flew up so that her eyes instantly met his. "What?" He took a step closer to her, crowding her.

"I once offered to train you," he explained, looking almost hopeful. "That offer still stands." He slowly reached out and tucked a strand of flyaway hair behind her ear.

She frowned. "I don't want to go to the dark side," she playfully scoffed. 

At that, Kylo smirked. "You know that Luke trained me, right?"

"I am painfully aware of that fact."

"I was his first student, teaching me to levitate my toys much to the chagrin of my parents," he explained, almost nostalgically, "Not everything I do is through the dark side, Rey."

"No?" She challenged. 

"Why don't you be the judge, then?" He asked. "Three lessons, and if you're feeling at all corrupted, we'll stop."

Rey's mouth worked as she thought, chewing on her cheeks absently. While she was teasing him, deep down she was afraid of accepting his teachings. Would he be ruthless? Would he be as cryptic as Luke? Or was this some attempt at getting her to turncoat? She shook off those feelings as another came over her, and it was as if the force were pushing them further together.

"How would we even do that if you can't keep leaving your post? How would I explain training with an invisible entity, seemingly having a one-sided lightsaber fight?" she finally asked.

"I'll figure it out," he assured, placing both hands on her shoulders, almost forcing her to look up at him. "I know you're afraid. I can feel it." 

“Rey!” called Leia from outside. “Ben!” The two looked at each other, frazzled at being pulled out of their conversation. Rey quickly shuffled past Kylo, feeling flushed. “Rey,” Leia smiled, seeing how easily her son followed her closely. “This village is perfect,” the older woman announced. “It has everything we need.”

Rey nodded, not entirely in her head enough to contribute to the conversation. 

“I’m glad,” Kylo responded instead. “The outpost is only a couple of hours that way-” he pointed towards where their ships were parked in the canyon next to them. “-and I might be able to drop off a couple of speeders. They’ll be outdated, but they will be in working order.”

Leia nodded, “Whatever you have to spare that won’t draw attention, we will gladly take. Besides, Rey can fix anything up.”

“I know,” Kylo said quietly, staring at Rey as she blushed and averted her eyes. 

“Let’s keep moving,” Kaydel all but shouted, feeling uncomfortable. “I think we should get heading back as soon as we can.”

The group continued on with their quick inspection of their future base, returning to their ships long before the suns were meant to set. Leia stopped to give her son a proper goodbye. 

“I am so proud of you, Ben,” she whispered out of hearing distance of the rest of the group. “I will see you soon, I promise.”

Kylo nodded, “I know. I’ll be in touch.” He hesitated before bending down and kissing his mother on her forehead, just as his father used to. “I’m sor-”

“I know,” Leia smiled sadly. “We’ll talk soon.”

She hobbled her way over to her ragtag group, everyone filing into the transport one by one. Chewie howled a quick goodbye, and Kylo surprised himself by waving back. Rey, on the other hand, paused at the bottom of the ramp and stared back at him for a long moment. Kylo made eye contact with her and nodded while sending a thought towards her in the force. Someone must have called her name from the cockpit, for she snapped her head towards the sound and used her long, strong legs to make quick work on the ramp. 

And then she responded, “ _ Thank you, Ben _ .” 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!


End file.
